A Texas Sky (Yellow Rose Trilogy) (38 page)

came for you."

"From whom?" Darvi asked as Cash moved to his office

and came out again.

"I don't know."

Darvi took the package from Cash's outstretched hands,

her movements somewhat cautious. Cash offered his pocktknife,

and a moment later the strawberry blonde had it

open. A letter came first and then, surprisingly enough, a

black-haired wig.

Darvi read the note, her eyes growing huge just before

Dakota came in the front door.

"You're not coming in here," he said sternly to Eli, who

had clopped right onto the porch. "Now get back before I

put you in the barn."

258 lori wick

481

With this he shut the door, but a glance out the window

told Dakota that the horse had stationed himself in the

yard, where he could see inside. The Ranger only shook his

head and joined the others, surprised to see Darvi looking

rather sober.

"Whaf s going on?" Dakota asked.

"She wants me to wear this wig."

"Who wants you to wear a wig?"

"Aunt Renee. She wrote, reminding me that Jared Silk

is locked up but Seth and Eliot are still free men. She

doesn't want Seth to recognize me and get it into his head

to snatch me again."

Dakota shook his head a little. "That's not going to

happen."

Doubts assailed Darvi in a horrible rush. It was so easy

in this place, at this ranch, to forget how helpless she'd

been, but for a moment the memories came flooding back.

A shudder ran over her as she pictured Seth's calm,

implacable face. He had been completely serious about

482

keeping her until she fell for him.

Seeing her uncertainty, Dakota sat next to her, his head

turned to watch her. Cash had quietly left them alone.

Darvi did not look at Dakota, so Dakota sat a moment,

giving her time to think.

"I tell myself you won't let anything happen, but in

truth, Dakota, you can't be with me every moment"

"That's true."

Darvi finally looked at him.

"But you're still sure he's not going to get me, aren't

you?"

"Yes, very sure."

She looked so troubled and confused that he took her

hand.

"Listen to me, Darvi. I'm not trying to play God here,

but I'm very good at what I do. I assume your plan is to

stay with your aunt, and I'm hoping that will work out, but

if we need to take rooms in the same hotel in order for me

A Texas Sky 259

483

to be dose by, thaf s what well do. Seth Redding is not

going to take you against your will again."

Tears filled her eyes before she whispered, "I didn't like

it, Dakota."

"I know," he said softly before reaching up with his free

hand to touch her cheek. "We'll be thinking very clearly;

we'll take all the necessary precautions; and in truth, I just

don't think he's that stupid. As soon as he spots me, hell

put the situation together."

Darvi looked surprised. "He will, won't he?" she said in

soft amazement

"I certainly think so. He's not a fool, or he wouldn't be

working for Silk. In fact, they probably know now. After all,

we both disappeared at the same time."

Darvi shook her head. "Why didn't any of this occur to

me before?"

"I don't know, but there's no point in worrying. We're

going to do everything we can to keep a lid on this. I'm not

expecting any trouble." Dakota reached for the wig, his

mouth just beginning to smile. "Your aunt is quite a character."

484

He fingered the hair for a moment and then looked

at her again. "You might look good with black hair, but I

prefer what you have."

Darvi smiled but didn't reply. She wanted to say something

about the way he looked too--his size, his handsome

face, his gentle manner--but she thought someone might

be headed their way.

Dakota watched her, wanting to speak as well but

holding off for the same reason. Dakota didn't know when

the time would be right, but it wasn't now.

"I've got dinner on," Katy called from the edge of the

room.

"Thanks, Katy," Dakota responded and stood with Darvi

"Are you all right?" he asked as soon as Katy turned away.

"Yes, thank you. I can't say that I'm looking forward to

it, but I think I'll be fine."

260 lori wick

A Texas Sky 261

485

Dakota took her arm to escort her to dinner, thinking

she was the most courageous woman he knew.

He would have laughed if he could have heard Darvi's

prayer at the moment: She was asking God to give her

strength and to help her be brave.

"It's almost completely dark now," Darvi commented,

her head tipped back a little. Dakota followed her gaze.

"I love a Texas sky," he said quietly. Having eaten

dinner, he and Darvi had taken a walk. The sky was dear

this night--huge and full of stars.

They were silent for a moment, both still looking up and

trying to take it all in.

"There's a man who runs the general store in Shotgun

where my brother lives," Dakota began. "He's huge. He

has to duck for every doorway, and if he's coming through,

no one can walk beside him. Not too long ago I read in

486

Isaiah 66 where it says that heaven is God's throne and the

earth His footstool, and I thought about what a big God He

is. I love a Texas sky. I think if s the biggest in the world, but

even at that, God has to duck His head to enter my world,

because He's so huge." Dakota looked down at Darvi, who

was staring up at him in the shadowy light. "But that is

what He did for me, Darvi. He ducked His head and

entered, so I could be saved."

"Oh, Dakota," was all she could say.

He reached out his hand and she took it, finding comfort

in his touch. Darvi was not at all looking forward to

returning to Aurora, not even to see her aunt, but Dakota's

hand and words reminded her that she was not alone.

Dakota wasn't all that thrilled himself, but he wanted closure

to the situation so Darvi would not have to look over

her shoulder in fear.

And the sky only helped. If God could create a universe

this big and perfect, He could surely handle the relatively

small court case that awaited them in Aurora.

487

%r

"You still awake?" Dakota asked Cash after bedtime mat

night, barely taking time to knock.

In truth Cash had just dropped off, but he was able to

wake swiftly.

"Whaf s up?" he asked as he threw the covers back and

swung his legs out to sit on the edge of the bed. Dakota sat

down as well

"I haven't had a chance to tell you what happened with

the folks."

"Why, what happened?"

In great detail Dakota explained the way Charles had

shown interest in the things Dakota shared, his visit to

Dakota's room that night, and the way they had attended

church together. Dakota recounted almost word for word the

letter he had written to his mother while Cash sat in stunned

silence.

"They went to church with you?" the older Rawlings clarified

in wonder:

488

"Yes. Mother was not happy about it, but you can tell she's

thinking. Father, for all his interest, is not asking too many

questions. I'm not sure if Mother's lack of enthusiasm has

tempered his response, or if the whole thing was a flash in the

pan."

Again, there was silence in the darkness. Cash had been

praying for his parents for years, but the door had never

opened as it had for Dakota. Of course, the change in Dakota

was more drastic, so it wasn't hard to see that this might have

had an effect Still, the whole thing took some getting used to.

"Tell me something, Cash," Dakota went on.

"Okay."

"Is the folks' marriage blessed by God?"

"Certainly."

"How do you know mat?"

"Matthew 5 says God allows the sun to rise on the evil and

on the good. He sends rain on the just and the unjust What

made you think of that?"

262 lori wick

489

"Seeing Father and Mother.. .they love each other more

than they ever have, but they haven't had the Lord to lead

them. I can't imagine making a marriage work without

God."

"But God does bless those who want nothing to do with

Him, Dak; thaf s the kind of God He is."

Dakota nodded.

"I take it you've been thinking about marriage lately."

Dakota looked at him.

"I don't know what I'm thinking exactly, but I do know

I've never met anyone before tarvi who actually made me

think about giving up the Rangers."

"And you're certain you have to give up that job if you

marry?"

Dakota's nod was decisive. "If s no life for a family man.

I'd never be home."

"What would you do?"

Dakota smiled.

"I rather like this ranch."

Cash could only laugh.

490

"I won't tell you I could use you or you'd be welcome,

little brother. I expect you to already know."

The two looked at each other.

"I'm going to bed," Dakota announced as he stood.

"All right. I'll see you in the morning."

Cash waited until the door dosed and slipped back into

bed. He didn't let his mind drift too far, but it wouldn't

hurt his feelings to have Dakota around more often.

Thinking that Darvi would be a nice addition to the picture

too, he fell back to sleep.

/tie,

tfialtjf^

dakota and dakvi had talked for the first part of the

journey to Aurora, but now both were silent with their

thoughts. Darvi was fine when she was distracted by conversation,

but alone with her thoughts, she felt something

akin to panic creeping up on her.

491

Part of her mind simply could not accept the fact that she

was headed back to Aurora. And not just to the town, but to

the very train station where those two men had taken her.

A glance at Dakota's profile told Darvi he was as confident

as any man could be in his ability to protect her, but

going back to Aurora was causing her no end of anxiety.

And the wig in her bag didn't help!

She shook her head at her aunf s scheme. What could

the woman be thinking? Darvi hated pretense. She honestly

didn't know how her aunt stood such a life. A spark

of anger flashed inside her, and it was all directed toward

her aunt. Darvi knew it was wrong and worked for the

remainder of the journey to calm down.

I'll just explain when I get there that 1 didn't want to wear the